Parting Gifts
by Tockie16
Summary: This is a sort of sequel to "A Generous Gift,"This is set in series 4.With only one week left together, what will happen between Caroline and Anders?Will they be able to say goodbye?Or will they refuse to let eachother go?Please R
1. Chapter 1: Reminiscing

**Sequel to, "A Generous Gift." Set in series 4. My own made-up storylines.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Wild at Heart or any of the characters; I take no credit for either.**

**Parting Gifts **

One week.

That was all the time that Caroline and Anders had left together. All the time they had left before Caroline departed for England to help look after her Grand-daughter, Olivia.

Neither of them had talked about her leaving very much. They hadn't wanted to talk about it. Talking about it meant that it was real, and that it was coming closer and closer, and they wanted to keep it as unreal as possible. Make it something that wasn't set in stone. But both were certainly thinking deeply about it.

First there was worry. Worrying about how long they would be apart for.

Then there was fear. Fear that one would fall out of love with the other. Fear of one finding the other in danger and not being able to come to the rescue in time.

Then there was anxiety. Knowing how anxious both hearts would be, and how much they would ache to see one another again, after being separated for so long.

Finally there was pain. Pain in knowing that, eventually, the time would come when they would have to go their separate ways and say goodbye. Knowing that the pain wouldn't subside, until they were finally together again, many weeks later.

---------------------------------------

Caroline stood in the kitchen, absent-mindedly cleaning the dishes from the families' previous meal, thinking deeply about the dreaded day that would cast an ominous darkness over her and the man she loved.

She had tried to put off thinking about it by throwing herself into her work at Leopard's Den. Organising bookings, re-painting here and there, cleaning the guest huts again and again, re-confirming bookings, ordering more of Danny's veterinary supplies, helping Nomsa clean inside the house, feeding some of the safer animals in the Animal Hospital, the list went on.

She remembered fondly the time Anders had suddenly caught her by the arm as she was on her way to check on the guest huts, again, her face hard with concentration, and her pace quick and determined. He had wrapped his arms around her slight waist and kissed her deeply, while chuckling at her adorably bewildered expression, in an effort to calm her down, and stop her being so tense and frantic about the most trivial things. Needless to say, it had worked very well, as her entire body had suddenly become like putty under his warm touch, a small happy sigh had emitted from her chest as she slipped her arms around his neck.

After he had pulled back from her, a little dazed and breathless, he had said, "You looked like you needed someone to stop you, before your pretty little head blew up, from worrying about all the jobs you were trying to cram into it," he smiled, a mischievous glint sparkling in his coral blue eyes.

She had laughed gently, then looked up at him coyly, and replied, "Well thank you Anders, I believe I did need that. But I don't think that you have stopped me _completely_, and certainly not enough to refrain me from worrying about all those jobs that I seem to be hell-bent on doing,"

He had smiled at her knowingly; "Well in that case…" suddenly, he swept Caroline off her feet, and carried her towards the barn which, thankfully, was completely empty apart from the many bails of hay stacked upon each other, which Caroline had actually done herself earlier that day. Then he placed Caroline gently down on one of the hay bails, rested his solid frame on hers, holding his weight off her by propping himself up on his elbows, kissed her forehead, and smiled cheekily at her "…I shall make certain that you never worry about all those silly little things ever again, my mischievous little minx…"

Caroline smiled broadly at that wonderful memory of their first time. It had been perfect. Their laughter had mingled together in the cool air of the barn as they kissed over and over again, lost in this perfect little moment together, the happy warmth radiating from them. She remembered the golden glow of sunlight peaking through the gaps in the wood, producing hazy speckles of brilliant yellow light on the floor, like jewels strewn across the ground. It had seemed like nobody but them on the entire planet existed.

As she was reminiscing, she suddenly felt a strong pair of arms wrap around her waist from behind … Anders.

"Hello you," she whispered, and lay her head back on his shoulder.

"Hello gorgeous, what were you thinking about?" He queried, placing gentle kisses along her jaw-line.

Caroline giggled, going slightly red, embarrassed to admit her thoughts to him, she felt slightly giddy and rebellious at the memory.

"What is it?" Anders prompted, laughing along with her. Her laugh was like sweet music to his ears, so infectious…Good God he loved her.

"I was thinking about…What happened two weeks ago…You know…In the barn," She didn't dare look at him, still struggling with her laughter; she didn't want to see his smug expression.

Silence…

Confused by this she dared herself to turn and look round at him. When she did, she didn't know whether to slap him, or kiss him. He stood there, arms still around her waist, with his eyes tightly closed, biting his bottom lip in an effort to stop himself from bursting with laughter and happiness. He attempted to compose himself, a smirk playing at the corners of his lips, keeping his eyes firmly closed, and said,

"Oh? I never knew I had such an effect on women…So every time you get angry with me, I can just remind you of our little "Chat," and then you'll be putty in my hand," Anders opened his eyes and met Caroline's mortified gaze. He couldn't suppress it any longer, his laughter burst out of him, radiating joy throughout the entire room, his coral blues sparkling with mirth and moisture.

Caroline did slap him this time; playfully however, as much as she hated to admit it, he did have that power to somehow make people adore him no matter what he said…As long as it was more or less a joke.

Anders rested his forehead gently against Caroline's, wrapping his arms tighter around her small waist, looking her in the eyes. He bit his lower lip, lowering his gaze, suddenly looking shy. That made Caroline want to just grab him by the collar and kiss him hard. She loved 'Shy Anders,' he looked so forlorn, so sweet and gentle. She also loved the fact that he usually only showed this side of him to her, and her alone. He let his guard down for Caroline, and she had always marvelled at how much trust he put in her. How much he trusted her with his big, but fragile, heart. She knew that this was part of the _real_ Anders. He didn't have insecurities per se, but it was easier for him to hide a little bit behind his mask of loud confidence, and wicked sense of humour. Those aspects were also part of the _real_ Anders, but he still used them to prove to people in the outside world, that he was fearless, and he was not the sort of person you would want to push around. Only those who knew him so well would know of his shy and gentler side, but he only ever revealed his shyness very rarely, and Caroline considered it to be almost an honour to be one of the few people who had witnessed this.

"What's wrong sweetheart?" she queried in her velvety soft voice, which she only used for him and the children. Sometimes Caroline's maternal instincts would kick in when Anders was like this. She felt a strong need to protect and comfort him, a feeling that surged through her entire being, which mingled with that familiar rush of love that rendered her breathless...It was intense.

"Nothing's wrong…Not at all. It's just…Well…It was wonderful wasn't it? I mean, I've never felt so…Connected, to another person before. Well maybe except for Elizabeth…but, erm…" he trailed off. Elizabeth had always been a painful and difficult subject for him to dwell on; he didn't talk about her much.

Caroline reached up on her tiptoes and planted a deep, lingering kiss onto his lips. She felt the deep rumble of his happy sigh against her own lips. She drew back, cupped his strong jaw gently in her soft palm, and made him look straight into her ocean blue eyes.

"It was wonderful, incredible, breathtaking, and I will never, ever, ever forget such a glorious moment between us. I don't think I have ever felt love like that before…So I guess you do have quite an effect on women, and a strong one at that. I just wish you weren't so devastatingly adorable, because I think I'm going to have to compete with other women for you, for the rest of my life." Anders smiled lovingly at Caroline, his velvety, yet striking eyes twinkling with warmth. She leaned forward and kissed him again, arms tightening around his neck, holding him there, deepening the kiss, becoming more urgent until Anders suddenly, but regrettably, broke away.

"I love you," he gasped, breathless. "And I think we may have to have _another_ "Chat," in the barn," he finished, chuckling, surprised by how forward he was being.

Caroline shot him an incredulous look, a strong hint of mischief flickering in her big blue eyes. "I love you too, and _that_…is a brilliant idea," and with that she grabbed Anders' hand and dragged him out of the room; she was a woman on a mission. They started kissing on there way down to the barn, both checking to see if the coast was clear every now and then, both feeling giddy and laughing almost uncontrollably as they tried to walk and kiss at the same time. They reached the barn, Caroline suddenly lost her footing, and they fell through the doorway, arms wrapped around each other. But this only made them laugh even harder, and it certainly didn't stop them from what they were doing.

Anders kicked the barn door shut, and when they both heard the click of the latch, they kissed passionately, settling down to have a wonderful and long, chat…


	2. Chapter 2: Mornings are so much fun!

**So sorry to make you wait so long for the update!! But I've made this chapter extra long to make up for it!! Enjoy! x**

Caroline was on the edge of consciousness. She could tell it was morning as the sound of the birds came twittering through the half opened window, and bright, golden sunlight shone through the glass, pooling across the floorboards until it reached the bed. Caroline turned and felt that something else was in the bed next to her, or rather someone. She opened her confused eyes, and she found lying next to her was a sleeping Anders. Caroline smiled to herself at the sweet familiarity of this routine, which they had developed soon after what had happened to Sarah. The memory of that night, full of mixed and intense emotions, played before her as she closed her eyes again, allowing herself to remember it clearly.

* * *

_How did this happen? Surely this isn't real…it has to be some terrible, horrid nightmare…isn't it? Oh God please make it stop! Make it all go away!_

_If I could just stop crying. Just stop crying. …Oh what's the use? I can't pretend that I'm just going to wake up and everything will be alright again. It'll never be alright again, how could it be? My daughter, my little, sweet, lovely, baby girl….gone. Gone forever. _

_I can't do this….I can't handle this. _

Caroline had spent the last few hours thinking about it over and over again, like a record on a continuous loop, tormenting her, eating away at her inside. Sarah was gone, snatched away from the living world so fast that neither Caroline nor any of the family could make the connection in their minds. But it had suddenly hit Caroline as she lay in bed, alone and scared, and it had hit hard. She was devastated, and far more aware of the fact that she was alone. The room seemingly far too big for just one person. Hating the blood chilling silence as she sat up on her bed in the encroaching darkness.

She couldn't stand being alone in the prison that was her room any longer. She threw off her bed covers, strode over to the door opening it slowly, the old wood creaking as she did so, and stepped slowly out into the hallway. She unconsciously started walking down the hallway, and a few seconds later, she realised that she had stopped just in front of Anders' bedroom door.

She didn't know how long she stood there, debating whether or not to go inside, but it was long enough to allow herself to think about what she was doing. She knew she would be risking so much. Her relationship with Anders might no longer be just a friendship, she suspected that he could react badly and ask her to leave, she knew that what she was doing wasn't fair on him because of the way he felt about her, she risked letting him in for the first time, and she knew that she might get her heart broken as a result.

Taking all of that into consideration, she just couldn't be alone with her thoughts right now. She needed someone to be beside her. She needed that comfort that she knew only too well that he, and no one else, could give her. He was her best friend, and she marvelled at how close that they had become in so short a time. They were so close it was almost intimate. Part of her told her that it was also due to the fact that they had strong feelings for each other, whether they knew what those feelings were or not.

A friendship like theirs was rare. They were inseparable, they knew each other inside out, they could tell what the other was feeling just by looking at them, and they, more often than not, finished each other's sentences. They were always so comfortable with each other that they could say anything that was on their minds, they were very tactile with one another, and when they stood together they were usually less than a foot apart.

Anyone on the outside would have thought that they were a couple by the way they looked at each other, and how physically and mentally close they were, always laughing together, their hands and shoulders constantly brushing or touching, always a sparkle of something in their eyes when in each other's company. But those who were closer to them, even though they knew and saw what they felt for each other, could also see a huge line between them that neither would cross unless clearly encouraged by the other.

Caroline knew that 'the line' had been deteriorating for a while now. All it took was one final push and then there would be no going back to the other side. If she crossed it now, if she opened the door that had been separating them for so long, it would be too late to go back. She had been opening doors inside herself ever since she first met Anders, and had been learning to close others that she had found so difficult to let go and forget. And after all that time, here she stood, at the very last door. She had the key, she had had it for a long time, but she had been too afraid to use it and unlock that door, because she was scared of what she would find waiting for her on the other side.

She made her decision. She took a small step back from the door, took a deep breath, and as quietly and carefully as she could, she circled her slender hand around the door handle and opened the final door. Once she had closed the door gently behind her, she turned and saw Anders lying there asleep, wrapped up in his duvet, his chest rising and falling with each breath he took. "Adorable," she thought.

She crept closer to get a better look at his face. He looked so peaceful and yet his features were exhausted and deeply lined under his eyes. He obviously had a lot of trouble getting to sleep that night too. Caroline's back found the wall and began to side down it until she reached the wooden floor. She would have thought that the floor would be cold, but even if it was she wouldn't have noticed. He gave off so much warmth with his eyes, even with just his presence, that she could be sitting in the middle of a snowstorm and she wouldn't care enough to feel the cold. She sat there watching him sleep; her anxiety and fear vanished as soon as she laid eyes on his sleeping form. After a few minutes Anders half opened his eyes; he had the feeling that he was being watched by something, and it unsettled him a little. His eyes adjusted to the surrounding darkness, and suddenly he became aware of a being sitting in his room, not two meters away. His whole body suddenly jerked awake and he sat bolt upright, a surprised yell escaping him.

"Gahh!...Caroline? What are you doing here, you almost gave me a heart attack?!" He exclaimed in a loud whisper.

Caroline gave him a small, sad smile and said, "I couldn't sleep, I couldn't be alone tonight…I'm sorry if I startled you, but I just needed to have someone near me. Your presence just makes me feel better, calmer, makes me feel like I can just about cope in terrible situations. Even if they seem hopeless."

Anders gave her a compassionate look. "Sarah?"

"Yeah," she said with a puff of mirthless laughter, her head in her hands.

"Oh sweetheart… I'm so sorry… I still can't believe that this has happened."

Tears began to well up in Caroline's eyes, "M-Me neither." A few tears rolled down her cheeks, for once not caring if anyone saw them.

Anders lifted up part of his duvet, gesturing for her to climb into bed with him. Caroline didn't even have to think twice before she slipped in next to him and cuddled up to his warm frame, her tears flowing freely and silently. They didn't say anything, they didn't need to; they knew each other so well that so much could be said without a single word between them. They staid in the same position until morning light, Anders' arms holding her close to him, supporting her as much as he could, and Caroline peaceful for the first time in years, finding it easy to fall asleep in his arms, taking in his scent and warmth.

* * *

Caroline opened her eyes again and studied Anders' features. He always looked so shaggy in the mornings. Well, more than usual anyway. His hair was sticking up in all different directions, with strands flopping over his forehead, just reaching his eyebrows. His features were soft, with a corner of his mouth slightly turned up into a sleepy smile, that she knew was due to a good dream he was having or just simply her being there. His chest rising and falling with each breath, with warmth radiating from his entire being. This was 'Morning Anders.'

She had come to deeply love and adore all these different aspects of Anders, whether he be, 'Shy Anders', 'Morning Anders', 'Cheeky Anders', 'Feisty Anders', 'Flirty Anders', 'Brave Anders', 'Loving Anders', 'Funny Anders', or even 'Angry Anders.' She also had to admit that she especially loved 'Jealous Anders', as it made her feel special and exceedingly valuable to this wonderful man.

Filled with a sudden rush of affection towards him, Caroline leaned in to place a gentle kiss onto Anders' lips. He stirred as she began to draw away, and placed a hand on the back of her head to deepen the kiss, a small, rumbling chuckle vibrating in his chest, which he knew always made Caroline's heart melt, along with the weakening of her knees. They pulled back from each other, both a little breathless.

"Morning," she said sleepily.

"Morning gorgeous," he replied with a large grin breaking across his face.

"We should really get up you know. Danny will be needing you to help him."

Anders grimaced and protested, "Nooo, few more minutes with you, please sweetheart." He begged, giving her his best puppy-dog eyes, which he knew she couldn't say 'no' to.

"Oh-ho no! You are _not_ going to get me _that_ easily Mister!" She threatened.

"Oh Puh-leeease Caroline." he begged again as he went for plan B, and started running his fingers up and down the middle of her spine, the puppy-dog look replaced with a glint of mischievousness.

"Damn him!" she thought, as she struggled to think clearly while he was distracting her like that. She managed to wriggle free of his hold, although she immediately missed the warmth of him. She stood up, smoothed down her nightwear, consisting of a strappy top with one of Anders' shirts covering her shoulders, and a pair of pyjama shorts, and looked at Anders with a stare that said 'You don't want to argue with me right now.' Anders cowered a bit from her stare, but still maintained his cheeky grin, and mischievous eyes. He took in her appearance, his heart skipping a few beats as he did so; he loved seeing her in her pyjamas.

"You do realise how devastatingly cute you are wearing my shirt don't you?" his grin widened when she blushed and her stare faltered a little. Her lips curved into a flirtatious smile as she placed her hands on his thighs where he was now sitting up on the bed, his feet firmly on the wooden floor. She leaned in to whisper in his ear, "Yes I do, which is why I can make you do anything I want you to do, without really having to try…Handsome."

She kissed him in the sensitive bit below his ear right, right in-between his jaw and neck. Anders shuddered, his heart beating a little faster than was deemed healthy. But he suddenly turned the tables on her as he grabbed hold of her slender waist and twisted her round until she was lying back on the mattress with him standing over, pinning her down onto it. He leaned down so that his face was just an inch or two from hers and whispered "I beg to differ, you devious little minx." It was Caroline's turn to shudder this time. She suddenly wrapped her arms tightly around Anders' neck, kissing him hard, snaking her legs around his waist as Anders scooped her off the bed and into his arms. Caroline drew back to look into his eyes, which were lit up with a fiery passion for her, her own eyes mirroring his. Anders placed her down gently onto the ground, and laid his forehead against hers.

"I love you." He said it barely above a whisper.

"I love you too." She reached up on her tip-toes and kissed him once more before letting go, turning Anders by his shoulders and moving him towards their en-suite bathroom.

"Come on now, we really do have to get ready, go brush your teeth, I'm going to get dressed." She ordered gently.

"Yes, Mistress," he said before turning to her and bowing low, "Your wish is my command." Anders was met by a slipper in the shoulder, as Caroline laughed incredulously and glared at him. That was a look that said, "Ooh you are pushing your luck today!"

Anders smiled cheekily at her, reached for the toothpaste, and began to search for his dark blue tooth brush around the sink, but found it to be missing. "Caroline, do you know where my tooth brush is?" he called as he opened the bathroom door. He wasn't prepared for what he saw, and as a result he dropped the toothpaste onto the floor, his mouth agape, and his striking eyes wide with shock. Caroline stood with her eyes intent on reading the ingredients on the back of a tube of moisturising cream, in nothing but her underwear and Anders' shirt. She had obviously put his shirt back over her to keep her warm, but Anders didn't care too much about that at the moment, because she looked drop dead sexy in his, and many other males', opinion. Anders' eyes travelled up and down her slender figure, never blinking. Caroline finally noticed what she was doing to him, as she looked up at his stunned expression. She tried desperately not to laugh or smile, but she just couldn't help it. She loved that she had such an effect on him, and that she was so desired by him.

"Anders?" No movement.

"Anders!" He jumped a little at the sound of her voice, and his eyes snapped up to meet her gaze. "S-Sorry, I was a little…distracted."

"I can see that." She giggled, teasingly walked over to him and placed her hands on either side of the door frame where he stood frozen to the spot, making her actions deliberate. Anders raised an eyebrow and attempted to take his eyes off of her, but it was no use, "The woman is just too damned gorgeous!" he thought, utterly defeated.

"Now…What was it you asked me?" she said softly.

"I...erm…I don't remember." He said with a nervous laugh.

"Oh that's a shame; I guess we'll just have to stay here like this until you do remember."

"Oh Caroline stop it now."

"Stop what?" She faked a confused expression.

"You _know_ what!" It took all the effort he had, but he managed to force his eyes to look into hers, winning the silent battle between them. Anders gave her a defiant look and turned away from her, very reluctantly mind you. Caroline let out a very girly giggle, the one that Anders always became weak for, gently pushed him aside and reached into a draw to retrieve his tooth brush.

"Here." She winked at him and turned to leave the bathroom.

"Thanks," he said with a smitten grin. He shook his head in an attempt to clear his thoughts and concentrate on the job at hand rather than on his fiancée's figure. "God I love that word!" he thought while smiling to himself. "Fiancée." He murmured to himself as his smile grew wider.

After both of them had finally got dressed, that is after some kissing, teasing and giddy laughter, they were ready to face the day and get some work done. Caroline was about to open their bedroom door when suddenly Anders caught her outstretched hand, and brought it up to his lips to kiss her delicate fingers. Caroline felt her heart melt when he looked up at her with those big, beautiful, coral blue eyes of his, shimmering with mischief and life.

"You know what…Mornings are so much fun with you. I find myself looking forward to waking up next to you, and starting this bizarre, yet lovely routine all over again," he said softly with a hint of emotion in his voice.

Caroline looked adoringly at him and placed a lingering kiss on his cheek. "Likewise; I know I'm going to miss this so much when I…you know."

She could see a flicker of sadness sweep across his eyes for a second, "I know…But don't worry, I'll make sure to wake you up every morning by calling you, I might even wake you up earlier, say four in the morning, just to spend more time talking to you." He said struggling not to smile, but as always his eyes betrayed his true feelings.

"If you do that, you won't have any more mornings at all Mister!" She mockingly threatened him, poking his chest with her index finger.

Anders laughed, placed his arm around her shoulders, lovingly kissed her forehead, and cheekily said, "Sorry your _highness_," and he ran for his life.

"Why you little!!" ….

**Please R&R!!**

**I'd love to know what you think of this chapter :) Constructive criticism is welcome!! **


	3. Chapter 3: Blood, Sweat and Tears

**Blood, Sweat and Tears **

Anders lay there on the hard ground. Feeling his consciousness slip away from him as the seconds passed. The sound of the gun shot that ripped through the air and into his chest was echoing within his head. Torturing him; making him feel cold.

That boy had been so young, surely no more than twenty-one years old. He had obviously been terrified, angry, and confused. Anders had tried to reason with him; to tell him to drop the gun and walk away with a clean conscience while he still could. But the boy had been too hyped up; he wasn't thinking straight, which was to be expected seeming as he was so drunk that he could barely speak coherently.

There was nothing anyone could have done to stop him firing that bullet at someone. Anders just happened to be at the wrong place, at the wrong time. Anders had not been his chosen target, however. He had pushed Evan out of the way of the line of fire, risking his own life for his youngest best friend. And now here he was, sprawled out on the ground just in front of Max's bar, fighting for his life. He could feel his blood seeping from the fresh wound, pooling onto the floor. He could vaguely hear Danny, Evan and Max calling his name, trying to get a response from him, trying to see if he was still alive. He wanted to respond, but his body felt so heavy, even his eyelids refused to open. He faintly heard the sound of an ambulance siren coming closer and closer to where he lay. The next thing he knew, an oxygen mask was being placed over his face, and he was lifted into the ambulance.

Anders opened his heavy eyelids slowly and saw Danny, Evan and Max's pale faces looking down at him, terror and grief imprinted on their features. He took a deep breath from the oxygen mask, and mustered up just enough strength to say, "Caroline…"

That was the last thing he remembered…Everything suddenly went black.

"What do you think of these Nomsa?" Queried Caroline, gesturing to the newly hung, sunset coloured curtains, which she had bought with Anders at the market the day before.

"They look lovely Caroline…Beautiful colours," replied Nomsa with a warm smile as she observed Caroline's work fondly. Caroline smiled back, descended from the ladder, and stood next to Nomsa to admire her own work.

"I've always said that this place needs brightening up. Although…Anders does seem to liven up the house on his own, even without the help of my brilliant decorating skills," both women laughed at the latter; Caroline feeling the affection for her Anders warm through her entire body, until it became clearly evident on her face as she smiled.

Caroline looked at her watch, it was half past five. "Shouldn't Anders and the boys be home by now?" she asked no one in particular.

It would be completely dark by six; already she could see the sky becoming a much darker shade of blue. She was getting a little worried; Anders had said that they would be home around five. Caroline tried to convince herself that they had probably had a few drinks at Max's bar, and were not really thinking about the time.

But she couldn't help but feel that something wasn't quite right; she just couldn't put her finger on what would be wrong about this. Anders and the boys were always coming home late from Max's bar; sometimes they would be late by almost two hours. But for some reason, tonight felt different, it felt…just...wrong.

"I'm sure they are fine; just having a few drinks I would guess," said Nomsa, trying to console Caroline; she could see the worried frown on Caroline's face deepening.

"Yes, you're probably right Nomsa… Maybe it's just me being paranoid, but I can't help but feel that something isn't right with Anders. I don't know why I'm feeling like this. It's like the feeling I got before I found out Anders had been attacked by Hobe the Lion, a couple of years ago," Caroline shuddered at the memory.

"I know what you mean, I also feel it. But Danny would have radioed us if anything had happened," Nomsa placed an arm around her friend's shoulders, trying to reassure her.

Caroline smiled gratefully at Nomsa, glad that she was there to keep her calm, "Yes…Yes I'm sure you're right. Just me being silly," Caroline embraced Nomsa in thanks, and went into the kitchen to start preparing dinner for the family.

Ten minutes later Caroline heard Danny's panicked voice calling from the radio. "Caroline?! Caroline are you there?! Please pick up! Dup's in trouble, pick up!"

Caroline felt her blood go cold. The icy panic slipped down her spine, her heart accelerating and hammering against her rib-cage. She ran to the radio, her hands shaking so much that she dropped it. She quickly picked it up and shouted into the speaker, "Danny?! I'm here. What's happened? Is Anders alright?!" Her voice was shaky and high pitched; she felt the adrenaline from her fear making her whole body convulse and her forehead become moist with cold sweat.

"Caroline!... Erm, I don't know how to say this, but…" Danny faltered, the pain evident in his voice.

"But?!" Caroline prompted impatiently.

"Caroline…Dup's in a coma… H-He was shot by a stupid young lad who was drunk and angry; he pushed Evan out of the way of the bullet, and… Max, Evan and I are in an ambulance now; we're taking him to the hospital. The paramedics said that Dup must have been traumatised by the gun shot, which caused him to go into the coma. I'm so sorry Caroline," He said the latter barely above a whisper.

Caroline couldn't speak, but her grief filled tears were answer enough. Caroline dropped the radio, which then crashed to the floor and sent pieces flying across the room. She felt her knees buckle beneath her, and the next thing she knew she was on the wooden floor sobbing into Nomsa's shoulder, the grief ripping through her heart.

The love of her life was dying. He was in a coma, Danny had said; but that meant that Anders may never wake up, it just stalled the inevitable. Caroline suddenly snapped herself out of it; she couldn't think like that. She had to hope that he would survive this. He was strong. He had survived a Lion attack hadn't he? He could have a good chance of surviving this.

Anders had been strong for her when Sarah had passed away, now it was her turn to be strong for him, to be there with him for every second; she had to be there for every heartbeat, just in case they were his last. She would be there with him till the end, although she desperately hoped and prayed to God that there would be no end of her Anders. If his heart stopped beating, if his heart died, she knew that hers would too…


End file.
